While Ant-Man is known for being small, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is shaping up to be the biggest film in the series.
When the original Ant-Man film was released in 2015, audiences loved the portrayal of Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, who gains the ability to shrink to a minuscule size and communicate with ants, becoming the hero known as Ant-Man.
The film’s sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (2018), was equally well-received, further expanding on Scott’s powers and his journey to the Quantum Realm, an alternate dimension where the laws of time and space no longer apply.
Five years later, Marvel is back with the third installment in the “Ant-Man” series, which hits theaters on Feb. 17.
“I’m really excited for it,” freshman Leia Yamada said. “It seems interesting and I really want to watch it.”
“Quantumania” will also mark the beginning of Phase 5 of the MCU. Since the release of “Iron Man” in 2008, MCU movies have been divided into “phases” made up of loosely connected films with an overarching plot.
Each phase has lasted for two or three years, with the most recent Phase 4 concluding in November with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”.
“Quantumania” will follow Ant-Man and Hope Pym/Wasp (Evangeline Lily) as they explore the Quantum Realm yet again, this time with Scott’s daughter Cassie in town. Only now, they’ll have to contend with a threat bigger than angry businessmen and transparent assassins: Kang.
Introduced in the Loki series on Disney+, Kang is the “big bad” for the Multiverse Saga of the MCU. Judging from the “Quantumania” trailer, Kang (Jonathan Majors) attempts to manipulate Scott into helping him in exchange for more time to spend with Cassie.
Scott’s relationship with Cassie will likely be the emotional core of the movie as it was for the first film. His desire to keep her safe and spend as much time as possible with her has led him to make mistakes in the past, which may influence how he responds to Kang’s offer.
Kang’s appearance and the overall mood of the trailer suggest a darker tone for “Quantumania.” Critics and audiences alike enjoyed the humor and charm of the previous two films.
Standing alongside Kang, Scott, and the others is a new face to the MCU, though a familiar one for comic fans: MODOK (or M.O.D.O.K).
MODOK, introduced in the 1967 comic “Tales of Suspense #93,” was originally a recurring character and antagonist for Captain America before crossing paths with other Marvel characters such as Namor, who was also recently introduced to the MCU in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
“I’m excited to see MODOK in the movie,” junior Sophia Santiago said. “He kind of freaked me out at first, but I think he’ll be an interesting villain.”
It’s unclear what sort of role MODOK will play in “Quantumania,” but his comic history suggests an antagonistic or evil one.
“Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania” will be followed by four other Marvel movies in 2023.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is set to release on May 5 and will be the last movie in the Guardians series. The film will explore Rocket Raccoon’s origins.
The long-awaited sequel to “Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse,” titled “Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse”, will be released on June 2 and follow Miles Morales and his friends as they travel across the Spiderverse.
“The Marvels” comes out on July 28 as a direct follow-up to the Disney+ show “Ms. Marvel.” Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) all return from the Disney+ show for Ms. Marvel’s debut on the silver screen.
“Kraven the Hunter,” though not officially part of the MCU, will release under Sony Pictures Entertainment on Oct. 6. It will feature the titular character in his introduction to the big screen.